Pumpkin Bread

Back in the early days of this blog, I told you about my mother’s totally awesome pumpkin bread. Yesterday, I filmed the step-by-step recipe for you! The bread is sweet, moist, and exquisitely perfumed. I think it captures the very essence of autumn.

Thanks for watching! If you’d like to see the recipe in photographic steps, click here.

Center the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Put the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer (or, use a large bowl and electric beaters). Beat at medium speed until thick and creamy -- about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy -- about 3 minutes. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and the pumpkin puree. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until combined.

Divide the batter among two well-greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean -- 65 minutes, or slightly longer. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then unmold the loaves, and let them cool completely before slicing. The bread can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for several months.

TIP: Line the bottom of each loaf pan with parchment paper to insure the bread does not stick.

Oh, this was just the thing to bake on a cold and rainy afternoon. I added fresh cranberries just for giggles, and it is SO GOOD!!!! Moist and spicy….the perfect fall bread. Thanks for this keeper, Kevin!!

Hi Kevin, I used half a bag of fresh cranberries…approximately 6 oz, or, maybe a tad over a cup by volume, folding them in as a last step before baking. Great way to use up leftover berries. And the tart crans with the sweet bread is wonderful! I didn’t even change up the baking time, the breads came out perfectly at that 65 minute mark.